Internal rift sees Clarke leave Sinn Féin

Fri, May 15, 2009

Sitting Ballina town councillor Peter Clarke announced this week that he had left Sinn Féin and will stand for the forthcoming town council elections as an independent republican candidate. Speaking to the Mayo Advertiser this week, Clarke said: “I have been thinking about this for a number of months and made my mind up about three weeks ago and told the party on Tuesday of my decision.”

Ballinrobe councillors appeal to the electorate to return three local councillors

Fri, May 15, 2009

At the last ever meeting of the Ballinrobe electoral area committee this week councillors pleaded to the local electorate to ensure that Ballinrobe secures three seats in the new-look Claremorris electoral area which will incorporate Ballinrobe following the June local elections.

Council says it is tackling environmental enforcement

Fri, May 15, 2009

The elected members of Mayo County Council praised the effort of the council in relation to environmental enforcement following a presentation by director of services for the council, Seamus Granahan, at their monthly meeting this month. During his presentation Mr Granhan told the meeting that the council had spent €135,000 on street clean ups, had issued 160 on the spot litter fines, and brought 24 successful prosecutions for littering in 2008 compared to less than 10 the previous year. He also told the members that so far in 2009 the council had carried out 22 major clean up operations at a cost of €132,000 and had a CCTV detection programme in place that was up and running along with greater co-operation between the council and An Garda Síochána in relation to litter enforcement. He also informed the members of a car bin scheme which the council was about to launch throughout the county to encourage people to stop throwing rubbish out their windows as they drive.

Westport reeling in filmmakers

Fri, May 15, 2009

A staggering €785,000 was injected into the local economy of Westport over the last year according to Mayo liaison to the Irish Film Board and local election candidate Councillor Keith Martin.

Councillors pay tribute to accident victims

Fri, May 15, 2009

The members of Mayo County Council paid tribute to the two men who were killed in a car accident outside Belmullet last weekend. Cllr Gerry Coyle led the tributes to Garda Terence Dever and Stephen Conway who lost their lives in the tragedy.

Tripod tactics by Shell to Sea

Fri, May 15, 2009

Shell to Sea campaigners using a daring tripod technique halted the work being undertaken by Shell at the Corrib Gas landfall site at Glengad on Thursday morning.

Wilson to also contend for Westport Town Council

Fri, May 15, 2009

Mayo local election candidate Andy Wilson has also put his name forward as a candidate Westport Town Council. Mr Wilson said he had originally not intended to stand in the town, but had been encouraged to do so by supporters.

Condemned Bower’s Walk bridge driving councillor mad

Fri, May 15, 2009

The row over the cost of replacing a condemned footbridge linking Main Street, Ballinrobe to the Bower’s Walk, continued at this week’s meeting of the Ballinrobe electoral area committee.

Council confident that development plan compromise will be reached soon

Fri, May 15, 2009

The long running debacle surrounding the Mayo development plan looks to be finally coming to a conclusion. Ian Douglas, senior planner for Mayo County Council told a meeting of the council: “The situation as far I know, is that the Department of Environment has agreed in principle to find some mechanism to finalise the plan that was agreed on March 23, that doesn’t compromise the Minister’s directive.”

FF and FG councillors lock horns over Ballinrobe free parking day

Fri, May 15, 2009

A minor pre-election political row broke out between the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors at the last ever Ballinrobe electoral are committee meeting this week.

Westport ‘fantastic place to be, to live, and to visit’ — President McAleese

Fri, May 15, 2009

The sun basked in the sky as President McAleese arrived in Westport to celebrate the picturesque town’s achievement in last year’s Tidy Towns Awards. As the Presidential cavalcade drove into the Westport Leisure Centre, a sea of decorative caricatures, flag bearing children, and bystanders who were basking in the lovely weather, greeted Mary McAleese and her husband Martin.

Cost of public jobs causing customers to fall off bar stools

Fri, May 15, 2009

The cost of public jobs is out of control, said an independent county councillor this week, adding that he feared that the customers in his pub would fall off their bar stool when he told them the cost.

Cllr Harry Walsh, a member of the Ballinrobe electoral area committee and candidate in the new six-seater Claremorris area in the June elections, made his comments at a local area meeting this week, the last ever meeting of the Ballinrobe area due to the re-structuring of the electoral boundaries.

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